BankRI grant benefits PCL

PROVIDENCE – Bank Rhode Island has awarded a $2,500 grant to the Providence Community Library to help 70 additional students in its language programs develop the skills they need for the workplace.
The funds will support the delivery of free workforce development programming, including both English as a Second Language and Spanish-language GED classes, taught at libraries throughout Providence.
“At BankRI, we firmly believe that education is the most effective path out of poverty and into a life of self-sufficiency,” said Mark J. Meiklejohn, the bank’s president and CEO. “One of the many things that make our communities unique is the diversity we all share—it’s so important to help our neighbors develop the skills that make them better equipped to enter the workforce.”
Since July of 2009, the Providence Community Library has managed Providence’s nine neighborhood libraries. In recent years, the library system has expanded its offerings with a focus on educational programs aimed at helping those from low-income households improve their career path and English-speaking capacity.
Nearly half of Providence’s population speaks a language other than English at home, so the library system began offering ESL classes taught by dedicated volunteer teachers. Two semesters of ESL classes are taught each year, and this year, eight classes will be offered during each semester at seven different libraries. Each class runs for 12 weeks and features two volunteer teachers for each class.
Following the early success of these classes, the library system began to conduct Spanish-language GED preparation classes.

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